 |
| |
|
| |
A
beautiful painting...that's what music is to me.
— Cornell
Garrett
From time to time, over the existence of the CBA, I have been sharing with BluesNotes readers what I felt was the best this town has to offer in the way of Blues music. This past year, I have been watching and listening to just such a band.
The first time I encountered Cornell Garrett's AWOL Blues Band, they were playing at their home stomping grounds, Slim's, in St. Johns. Back then, they were your run-of-the-mill Blues band, more like a jam band with numerous folks sitting in on any given night. From the start, audiences seemed to enjoy and support AWOL. Over the year, I saw them evolve into a five-piece Blues band worthy of recognition. Keep in mind that lots of bands form but not many survive the competitive music scene. But, let's back up to the beginning or genesis of a Blues band.
Cornell Garrett is the brother of Lee Garrett, one of many in a family with 21 boys and 7 girls. Garrett is number 19! His parents were sharecroppers in SE Missouri. He says his family picked cotton with B.B. King and that Buddy Guy is a cousin. His dad was into County music. He sang lead in choir as a child. Garrett started playing guitar in the 1960s. His first guitar was a Western Auto. He grew up in little towns and is thankful for schools and his life experiences.
At the age of 15, Garrett experimented with different instruments and vocals. Having an ear for music, he tried to mimic what he heard. Then he tried blowing harp in the hippie days of L.A. and subsequently moved to Oregon in the late '60s, early '70s. Moving to Eugene, he played in coffeehouses and left his job as a surveyor in 1975 to study music at Mt. Hood Community College. He had the 3rd best ear there. Perhaps the nickname "Golden Throat" was attributed to Garrett at that time.
Finally, he chose the bass as his main instrument. He played in bands with '60s flair, emulating such artists as CSN&Y and Zappa. In Salem, OR, he teamed up on vocals and bass with pianist, Ramsey Embick, guitarist, David Rand, brother, Warren Rand and drummer, Perry Querin.
"Cornell is a natural Blues singer...likes spontaneity, improvisation and arrangements," states Doug Guinn.
Garrett went on to become the leader and founder of AWOL. Then a few years ago, harpist, Doug "Skinny D" Guinn joined the band. If Garrett can be seen as the soul of the band, then Guinn is clearly its heart. He caught my eye from a talent standpoint right from the first time I heard him play. His playful engagement with the audience showed his true love for Blues music and captivated me, to say the least. I felt this harpist had a potential to soar to any heights he aspired to. I wanted to know more about the man and his music.
Doug Guinn is 50 years old, born and raised right here in Portland. He grew up listening to his parents "scratchy" 78's and later learned he was listening to music referred to as Big Band Swing and Jazz; Mom played the clarinet. He was also heavily influenced by a variety of music and finally, settled firmly on Rock bands, like British Blues invasion artists John Mayall, The Yardbirds, The Rolling Stones, Eric Burdon and many more. He started trying to play "just like the record." "The Blues is the music that moves me most, especially live Blues. When you feel the groove comin' on - you know what I mean? When the place just gets carried away by the song and you can feel that healing power flow around and through everyone. That's what I'm talkin' about," states Guinn.
Guinn has been playing harmonica for 34 years, seven years professionally. He has been a member and avid supporter of the Blues and the Cascade Blues Association for many years. He assists as a volunteer in the monthly distribution of the BluesNotes.
LynnAnn Hyde had this to say about Guinn: "He's a FINE player and a real gentleman!"
On the evening of January 18, 2003, I sat in on a two-camera video shoot at The Pit Stop in Vancouver, WA. The video was to be broadcast on Channel 11 sometime in the near future. This was the first time I had the opportunity to partake of the newly formed band with its current members. The band includes Greg Seymour on lead guitar, Paul Keller on lead and rhythm guitar, John "Rascal" Christensen on drums, Cornell Garrett on vocals and bass and last but not least, Doug "Skinny D" Guinn on harp and vocals. The bar is small and spendy. The place is filled with wonderful potted plants everywhere, especially hanging from the ceiling and windows. An old guy at the bar relentlessly heckles the band in between each song. The first song out is a 1-4-5 shuffle, "Born In Chicago." Then the band forges into a slow Blues number with Guinn pouring out everything he's got. Everyone on stage is focused and energetic; 'tight.' The audience seems to take to the energy transmitted from the stage from the get-go. Guinn sings a song and the band rounds out the first set with a Jimmy Reed in G.
Guitarist
Paul Keller set up the shoot. Born in Ontario, Canada in 1963, Keller had played
in many bands doing covers in 1999-2000. One such band was Southern Meltdown.
In 2000, he began recording with PK & Jamm at Waleigh World Studios in Vancouver,
WA. In late 2002, he joined AWOL.
 |
| |
The second time I had a chance to see the band live was this summer at their last gig at Bookie's in North Portland. It was a Friday night, 11 pm. I walked into a room with lighted pool tables and Jazz instrumental music blasting. The dance floor is made up like some huge chessboard. There are black metal chairs with black tables lining the dance floor. The house is packed and enthusiastic. As I hustle up to the band bar in the disco glitter ballroom, the waiting guitar players discuss the tone and crispness of the Fenders they play.
The room is smoky, emulating a smoggy L.A. skyline. The crowd appreciates Guinn's hot and heavy harp and Seymour's sizzling solos. Garrett addresses the crowd re: freedom. "This is real.... Freedom is at a price." Then a singer named Barbara jumps up from the dance floor to finish a song and sing another. Adrian accompanies her on sax. The second set turns into a jam and as the band plays a slow song, "The Thrill Is Gone," the dance floor fills to capacity. The night ends on a high, if not final, note.
Just recently, I accompanied Doug Guinn to a Dub DeBrie Thursday night jam at The C & I Tavern in Tualatin. Professional as always, DeBrie starts off with no introductions and plays straight into a Jazz instrumental with the trio: DeBrie on guitar, Frank Grimmer on bass and the incomparable Carlton Jackson on drums. It's "Play or Die night," according to DeBrie. A song of Jobim-like quality sports harmonic bass lines, with a Brazilian touch on percussion.
Then Guinn is invited to join the band singing and blowing harp on "From My Heart To You," his favorite cut off the band's AWOL Blues Band Live CD. Guinn does a total of three Blues songs ending with a version of B.B. King's "Everyday I Have the Blues." Having plugged the band's upcoming gigs, he and I leave Tualatin with a little taste of the Blues before heading back to P-Town.
This gave me an opportunity to interview Doug:
Q: AWOL represents you in what way? A: The band represents my efforts to share in cooperative creativity and the joy that comes from connecting to each other and the audience through the indescribable power of music. I like what Pete Seeger said about that power: "Words make you think and music makes you feel..." Q: What led up to the creation/inspiration of the Band and what changes have occurred within AWOL this past year? A: The AWOL Blues Band was around for a while before I joined. I knew Cornell from jams at Shawdon's with Rico Lopez and the Etcetera Tavern with Chuck Adkins. We kept running into each other and really hooked up musically each time we played together. AWOL wasn't gigging very much then and had already undergone a few changes, but they did have a demo CD that showcased Cornell's original style. I was working in a band that occasionally needed a fill-in bass player so, naturally, I called Cornell, and that gave us a chance to finally work together. We began to talk about and plan for "the band to be" ... how to get the sound we both felt was important... when I left the band I was in. Cornell invited me to play with him and the members then present in AWOL to develop that sound. I've been a member for a few years now and there have been eight different guitarists and five different drummers! The lineup right now is hot and we throw down pretty hard. |
When asked to describe his style of playing, Guinn stated, "My style is evolving toward its own voice with influences from Big Walter Horton to James Cotton, Charlie Musselwhite, James Harman, Jerry Portnoy, and so many others. Micing and amplification are other aspects of playing Blues harp that I've been exploring over the years and I currently prefer just two amps. My favorite is a 'Franken-Fender,' a '55 Champ chassis that's driving a '59 12" Jensen Alnico in a '65 Univox cabinet, and my 'loud' amp, a '51 Maco PA that runs through a Fender 4/10" cabinet. Both have 'tone to the bone' and are the result of a long (and continuing) search for the perfect harp amp. As for microphones, I use A-Static JT-30 types, and sometimes my Electro-Voice 630."
Guinn plays Lee Oskar harmonicas, vintage amps and several types of microphones to deliver his soulful and tasty selection of rhythms, accent fills and leads. He states, "I play Lee Oskar harmonicas exclusively." I spoke recently with Guinn and he had just received a package of Lee Oskar products and looks forward to representing the product.
Q: What past bands or projects can you tell me about? A: Well, I hung out and played with a bunch of people early on but nothing steady. (I) bummed around the country awhile before settling down to marriage and children. We lived in The Dalles for almost five years where I had a shoe repair and custom making business, but moved back to Portland where our families lived. (I had) never formed or joined a band the whole time my kids were growing up but often got together with friends to jam wherever we lived. Now the kids are grown with kids of their own, so, grandpa's gonna follow the muse. I started actively working on developing a professional presentation following a visit to Chicago in 1996, where I was praised and encouraged by the house band at Blues Etcetera on West Belmont Street, following a sit-in session late one Friday night. I came home determined to seriously study the art of amplified Blues harp and set about acquiring the knowledge and equipment to produce 'that sound'. I started hitting the local jams to practice and learn from the many fine players locally and finally hooked up with a hard-working but short-lived band called, The Fat Cats, doing Blues, Roots-Rock covers and the original material of Robert Featherstone. I'm featured and helped produce their CD, "Monday all Over The World." For a few years now, I've been teamed up with Cornell Garrett to develop the Cornell Garrett AWOL Blues Band. The band has a good fan base and gigs regularly around the Portland area at clubs, private parties and outdoor festivals. I keep the calendar for bookings updated and the Band's e-mail list which has over 75 people registered as members. I do promo and advertising for the band and create and update the monthly AWOL VIP e-mail newsletter. (He recently received an e-mail from a radio station in Denmark requesting a copy of their Live CD. They also have a website up and running at www.cornellgarrettsawol@hotmail.com. And, you can always get updates both at the CBA website and in the bandstand section of the BluesNotes. You can reach Guinn at d.guinn@worldnet.att.net for bookings.) Q: What future prospects do you see for AWOL? A: One of the highlights this year was a performance on the FM105 Children's Stage at the Portland Rose Festival Waterfront Park, Sunday, June 8. Who can say? All I know is that every time we get together, I'm just gonna play THE BLUES - try to keep it real and have as much fun as I can! People seem to like us and you never know what opportunities may come along. I'm ready for whatever... Q: What are your individual, future goals and/or projects? A: Gonna keep on playin’ the Blues. AWOL is my main gig but I want to record more of our original material. I have been playin’ guitar a little more and working with some friends lately to try out some obscure and original material in a different approach. (Using small amps and some acoustic). I plan to gig and record with them when AWOL’s not working. I like to rehearse, gig and record with my son’s heavy Blues/Rock trio: The Warshers, as a featured guest occasionally as well and I’m always open to other opportunities. |
The band just put out their first CD, AWOL Blues Band Live. It contains nine tracks and was recorded on April 30, 2003 at the Longhorn Grill & Saloon in Portland. The band produced and arranged all songs with six original songs written by Garrett. The originals include "Pocket Full Of Pencils," "My Baby Left Me," "Zoo Keeper," "Weed, Women & Whiskey," "Momma's Home-Cooked Meals" and "I Feel So Bad." Guinn sings on two tracks: "Directly From My Heart To You" and "Early In The Morning." The CD captures a little of the magic inherent in their performances on stage. It's worth listening to.
I would highly recommend that you Blues fans go check them out for yourselves. If you can't make the September 3rd CBA meeting at the Melody Ballroom, you can find the guys at a return engagement with A.B.A.T.E. to kick off the annual "End of Summer Run" on Friday, Sept. 19th in beautiful Birkenfeld, OR.
I know I will see all you Blues kids out and about and as Garrett is apt to say, "AWOL, y'all!"
Author's note: I will be heading north to Seattle,
WA this spring and this being most likely my last article for BluesNotes,
I wanted to take the opportunity to say that I have so enjoyed sharing Blues
from Portland to so many fans all over the world. So, go out and support your
local Blues!
Return to the NW Blues Gallery...
© 2003 Cascade Blues Association